Keep the Music
by Fan-Fiction-802
Summary: Margaret (NOT MAGGIE FROM THE SHOW) and Jenna. Two aspiring singers and dancers, bffs born for fame. But then there's the invasion, things get sneaky with a boy named Ben, and the world becomes dull. Can these best friends keep the music? Rated T for mild language. Ben/OC
1. Chapter 1

**So this idea came while I was listening to my IPod. The two main characters are based off of my friend and I. Read, review? I take bad and good reviews!**

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Margaret's POV:

I was packing furiously.

"Why are you even packing, Margaret?" Jenna whined through my phone

"Because, J, what if they say yes? Then I need to leave ASAP." I responded, sitting on my suitcase. "My mom's cool with it, your mom just needs a tad more convincing." We were trying to arrange for us to meet up, since Jenna had moved to Massachusetts.

"Jenna! We need to talk!" The unmistakable voice of her mom echoed into the phone. Jenna and I bid goodbye, and hung up. She called back a few minutes later.

"SHE SAID YES!" She screeched.

"AWESOME!" Next thing I knew, I was on a flight to Massachusetts. I got off the plane, unsure of where to go or where to go. Then I saw Jenna and some blonde boy. Jenna was holding a sign that read _Some goofball that is probably wearing a music shirt and suspenders._ I glanced down to my shirt that had a saxophone on it and my music note suspenders hanging off my shoulders and blushed. A few things about me and her: We're in a little band, we sing and dance. I play the guitar, saxophone, all percussion instruments, piano, and flute. It took me years to master every instrument, and I plan to learn more. Jenna plays piano, trumpet, most percussion, and guitar. "YOU KNOW ME TOO WELL!" I screeched, jumping onto my friend.

"MARGARET, HEEL." She responded, making me fly off her. The boy was just laughing at us. I grabbed my phone and texted her:

**OMG! U hav a boyfriend and u didn't tell me!**

Jenna laughed. "This is Ben, our neighbor. We're _friends,_ and he wanted to meet you."

"Yeah. He wants some of this." I said, confidently leaving an open-mouthed Ben and a Jenna dying of laughter. "I'M ALWAYS LIKE THIS, SO YOU BETTER GET USED TO IT." I yelled back to Ben, while strutting to the escalator that would take us to my luggage. I brought my snare drum, my saxophone, my guitar, and my flute. I threw the strap of my guitar over my shoulder, and picked up my flute. Ben offered to carry my saxophone, and I forced Jenna to roll my snare drum. I had my flute in one hand, a guitar on my back, a giant bag over one shoulder, and I was rolling another giant bag.

I don't pack light.

I trudged, yes _trudged_, to a taxi cab waiting for us. Once we were there, Jenna mischeviously sat in the front seat, leaving me with Ben.

"I hate you." I muttered, slumping next to the blonde. Jenna fake gasped loudly and threw her hand over her mouth. I rolled me eyes.

"SAVE THE DRAMA FOR YOUR LLAMA." She shouted. Soon it was an all out battle. We were pulling into Ben's driveway to drop him off when everything changed.

That very second, the world was plunged to hell.

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**thanks for reading! This was pre-invasion, by the way. Tell me if I should continue? Eeh I probably will, anyway. Next chapter will be up soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for continuing, it means a lot :D**

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I lifted me head up and found that I had clung onto Ben for protection. What's even more awkward? One of Ben's arms was holding me closer, the other one was seated on my head. We both flew away from each other at lightening speed.

"J, you good?" I asked, looking out the window. Whatever blast that happened flipped the taxi, ripping our seatbelts. I rubbed my aching waist that would most definitely get a rash.

"Yeah." I heard her gulp. "But our driver isn't." I crawled up to see that the man was too heavy, forcing the belt to crush his insides. His head was bleeding slightly, meaning he'd banged his head on the steering wheel. Blood eerily dripped from the upside down body. I let out a screech, flying backward.

"Someone's awful jumpy." Ben chuckled. Ever since our little 'attachment' five seconds ago, I felt closer to him. Like I belonged to him. I ignored that gut feeling and channeled my energy somewhere else.

"How in the name of Ethan Morgan are we gonna get out of here?" I asked, earning a strange look from Ben.

"You watch waaaay too much My Babysitter's a Vampire." Jenna retorted. "Besides, with enough effort the doors will open." We jiggled, and pushed, pulled and banged, and eventually Ben's door popped off.

"You just- you- I- I WISH I WAS A MAN." I exclaimed, crawling over to Ben's side and getting out.

"You sure you aren't already one?" Ben laughed. I put on an angry face.

"Well shit to you, too." I snapped. Ben was taken back.

"Margaret, Margaret," Jenna began in a posh British voice. "You are only fourteen years of age. Shit is reserved for fifteen year olds." Ben and I laughed our heads off.

"Yeah, you go fifteen years without crapping." I was sure to enunciate crapping.

"I think we should go." Ben blurted, staring behind us. "Like, now, RUN!" We took off in the direction of the Mason house, running from whatever was behind us. We flew into the house and locked the door. "Dad? Mom? Matt? Hal?" Ben called out. Nobody answered, but a few whimpers were heard from the back of the house. We ran there to see a man, an older boy, a younger boy, and a dead woman. Part of the house had been blown off, it probably crushed the woman. "M-mom?" Ben stammered, tears brimming in his eyes. The other boys were full on sobbing. This was mixed up, some sort of Hunger Games thing, people killing each other. Hunger Games...

"I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'd never let you go." I began to sing, my voice barely above a whisper. Jenna got the message. The both of us sang quietly. When we had finished, the oldest, the father, looked at us and smiled. Looking at that woman made me realize that this was no little bomb. This was a war. My family was in Charlotte, hours from here. I smiled,tears slowly rolling down my cheeks. I'd never see them again. My knees went weak, sobs battered at my throat. I wanted to break down, but I had to be strong.

I would have to be.

Jenna wasn't reacting well, either. Her dad was on a work trip, he's probably a goner. Her younger brother and mom were shopping. No doubt they'll be ambushed.

"If you want to cry," The littlest one started, "It's ok." Bam. Margaret Keener, on. The. Floor. Don't have to tell me twice, I was a mess. Thanks for the permission, little dude. I felt Jenna's comforting hand on my back.

"Margaret," She whispered into my ear. "It'll be okay." I looked at her, in a childish state.

"But how do you know?" I choked.

"Because I do. I'm adopting you. We're family now." Now what she said wasn't to be taken legally, we had no papers. But those words? They were better than any form. Then we heard the screams. I ran to the front door.

"Why the hell would you want to go out there?" The older boy asked.

"Curiosity." I responded.

"Curiosity's a bitch." Ben said, wiping tears away.

"Not if you use it correctly." I smiled.

"Curiosity killed the cat!" Jenna cheered.

"That cat was a dumbass." I ran out the door and screamed myself. There were these _things _taking kids and teens. These gross little shits had six legs, were slimy, and green. Their eyes were black and emotionless.

"Come on," The dad ran to me. "There's an underground tunnel we can get through." Everyone threw a few things into a bag, and I refused to leave my instruments. After the things left, we wandered around, collecting survivors. We met a man- Dan Weaver (thought he prefered Captain)- who was in the military. After two days, we had collected about 300 people, and we needed to hide. Captain Weaver and Tom Mason (who was the father) met to talk about adult junk. When they were done, we were named the 2nd Massechusetts Militia Regiment. But before we could get to the tunnels, an alien army attacked.

"Ben, look out!" I screamed, trying to protect him from the incoming alien.

"KILL THESE DAMN SKITTERS!" Skitters? Where'd that come from? I looked over to the man who'd yelled. I believe his name was Mike, and his son, Rick, I think, was being dragged away.

So was Ben.

"BEN!" I screamed, running after him, but Jenna stopped me. "What are you doing?!" I yelled, trying to escape her grasp on my waist.

"Marg, it'd be better to have one dead kid then two." It hurt because she was right. We filed into the underground tunnels, unsure of the future.

Tom made us sleep in the tunnel. Not exactly comfy. He and Weaver were looking for a safe place for us to stay, but nothing had shown up. I strummed on my guitar lightly, trying not to wake Matt next to me.

"Margaret?" He suddenly asked, awake.

"Yes, Matt?" I scooted closer to him.

"Why'd they take Ben?" He asked, staring at the ceiling. It took all my courage not to cry.

"I don't know, Mattie." I choked, my throat suddenly went dry. Water was scarce, so I decided on staying a tad thirsty.

"Will you sing me to sleep?" He asked meekly. I smiled at him.

"What song?"

"The one you and Jenna sang when my mom died." He was so strong, saying that with a strong and unwavering voice.

"Sure." I tuned my guitar, and cleared my throat. "I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'd never let you go." I was lucky he didn't know this song was about reassuring someone while they died. "And all those shadows almost killed your light." Matt smiled, his eyes droopy. "I remember you said don't leave me here alone. But all that's dead and passed tonight." I kept my voice soft. "Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound." Matt's eyes were closed, but he wasn't exactly asleep. "Dont you dare look out your window, darling, everything's on fire." How true that was. "The war outside our door keeps raging on." Taylor was prophetic, this is real. "Hold onto this lullaby, even after the music's gone. Gone." I sang the rest to a sleeping Matt.

A happy Matt.


	3. Chapter 3

**IMPORTANT: So we're doing a big time skip. This skips eight months ahead, skipping most of the time without Ben. There will be a brief recap.**

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We eventually got out of the tunnels, and as of now, we're staying in a high school. I've become a soldier, but Jenna stays behind to train with Anne. I'm proud of her, she always said that if our music career flopped, she would become a doctor. I never gave it any thought because I knew we would make it. Now, I kinda wish I did.

Jenna and I do little concerts every night. A lot of the kids come, they think it's so much fun, and the adults come to liven up their days. When I'm not on patrol, and Jenna isn't teaching, we teach dance classes. And when neither happens, I sing. I never have a free second.

My schedule is pretty strict. Wake up at four AM, go running for four hours, patrol for two, one hour breakfast, run for two more hours, class for two hours, sing for an hour, dinner for two hours, run for another hour, sing Matt to sleep for thirty minutes, then run for three hours, then sing for an hour, chat around for thirty minutes, then finally sleep at midnight.

I guess I keep myself busy to keep my mind off Ben. We barely knew each other for a week, but not knowing where he is is terrible. It breaks my heart.

I think about Rick, too, and the other harnessed kids. I pour my soul into my singing so those kids can have a good life before it all washes away.

Jimmy and Jenna refuse to admit it, but they've got a thing going on. It's classic: the lovey-dovey looks, the sighs, the wishing for privacy. All of the 2nd Mass knows it. Jimmy and I are like brother and sister, we fight playfully all the time. Jenna stands back and blushes the whole time. THEY ARE TOO CUTE.

Enough with my banter, I guess I'd better tell you the story.

My alarm went off at four.

"Marg, you need to stop getting up so early." Jenna mumbled, stuffing her face in her pillow.

"Oh shush." I laughed, going to get dressed. I threw on black combat boots, baggy camouflage pants, and a sleeveless black leather vest that left about and inch of skin in between my pants and my top. I put on basic makeup, mascara, lip gloss, and a touch of eyeliner. I guess I've really changed in these past eight months, going from wacky graphic tees and suspenders to camo and vests. The hallways were empty, except for a strange figure standing a while away. I ran up to him, and I realized it was Jimmy. "What are you doing up at four, Jim-Jam?!" I exclaimed, smacking him in the shoulder.

"Don't call me that, _Margie_." I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, I thought I'd train with you." He shrugged. I sighed, walking to the cafeteria to get a waterbottle.

"One rule," I shoved the bottle in his face. "We share, you waterfall." He scoffed. "Are you sure you want to run until eight?"

"I dunno." I gasped in realization.

"YOU'RE WORKING OUT FOR JENNA!" I screeched, jumping up and down.

"Shush!" His hands flew to my mouth. "Don't tell anybody." I licked his hand, making it fly away. "EEEEEEEEW."

"You're such a girl." I stated, starting to walk away.

"Am not!" He pouted, catching up to me.

"Are too." I whispered. After a few seconds of silence, we both burst into laughter.

The run was okay, I guess. If I was running with somebody besides Jimmy, I would've started a conversation, but he's sweating buckets. All his focus is in staying conscious. I laughed before running faster. Jimmy finally stopped. I laughed a little and slowed to a stop, as well.

"Jim-Jam, you okay?" I laughed a little. He gave me a serious look, which scared me a little.

"You work yourself way too hard." I looked at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" Jimmy sighed.

"Jenna and I have been talking-" I cut him off.

"So you've been talking to my best friend behind my back?" I snapped. Yeah, I guess I was a tad grumpy.

"Margaret, hear me out! The whole 2nd Mass is concerned! You get four hours of sleep, you run all day, you eat pretty much nothing, and your skin and bones! People are dying anyway, we don't need you dead because of your stupidity!" I was so mad, I wanted to slap him.

So I did.

I whipped around and stormed off. He was overreacting, I'm perfectly fine. And thanks to him, I'd lost my appetite. Nothing is wrong with me, _nothing_. They're just overreacting. I sighed and checked the clock. It was time to go on patrol.

"MARGARET!" Ugh, Weaver. Never liked him, never will. I walked out of my room to where we were getting our briefing. "Alright, instead of patrol, we're scouting. We're low on food and water. We heard there's a place down by the hospital. Pack it up, let's go." I went back to Jenna and I's room and gathered up the usual stuff: a small pack with some basic first aid, a knife, and a small bottle of water. Then I got a small hand pistol, a big rifle which I wore on my back, and a knife strapped to my thigh. As I passed the medical room, I smirked and stopped. I tiptoed in, as Anne held in her laughter. Jenna had her back turned to me.

"JENNA!" I suddenly snapped. She jumped and shrieked, falling to the ground. I was laughing like crazy, along with Anne and Lourdes. She pouted, and I rolled my eyes then stuck out my hand to help her up. She took it willingly, and gave me a playful shove.

"Don't do that!" She whined.

"Yeah, whatever!" I scoffed. "I'm going scouting." Jenna and I always said goodbye before I head out, because we both know there's a chance I won't make it back. She gave me a hug, said goodbye, and I headed out. Usually I would've been with Jimmy, but I was too mad at him to even consider it. So, I joined up with Hal and Karen. Third wheel, but whatever.

"Hey, look who it is!" Hal smiled, pulling me into a hug. "Miss Let's Ignore Hal and Karen because I'm Too Cool." I scoffed.

"That wasn't the reason..." I was terribly lying on purpose, as I twirled my hair. Karen smiled and hug me.

"Hey there, M." She said. I love Karen, she's like my sister. She started playing with my hair as we walked. "You should let me French braid it tomorrow." I turned my head, having my hair slide out of her hands.

"Really?" I asked, looking at her.

"Yeah, why not?" She said, shrugging.

"G-guys?" Hal gulped, and I shot my head to him. He was staring at the hospital rooftop through his binoculars. Karen and I were squinting, since it was so far.

"What's up there?" I asked, taking a few steps forward.

"Wait!" Karen threw her hand in front of me. "It could be a trap." Hal was still silent, his mouth slightly open.

"SPIT IT OUT, HAL!" Karen and I said in perfect unison. We looked at each other before bursting out in laughter.

"I-it's Ben."


	4. Chapter 4: It's Worth It

**Chapter 4: It's Worth It**

Ben... he had been there, I saw him.

"I wish you were back." I whispered.

"Talking to yourself again?" I turned to see Jimmy standing in the doorway.

"I got it from you." I scoffed, walking out of Jenna and I's room.

"Oh, really now?" He followed behind me.

"Loser." I scoffed, quickly taking a sharp turn down the hall. I was walking faster than I should be, but it was funny to watch Jimmy try and keep up.

"Where are you going?" He whined, jogging next to me.

"The cafeteria." I smirked. I walked in, and sat down at a table with Jenna, Tom, Hal, Karen, and Matt. "LOOKS LIKE WE'RE STUCK AT THE LOSER TABLE AGAIN." I scoffed.

"YOU ALL NEED LIVES." Jenna said, putting her fork down and leaning back in her chair. I took this as an opportunity to put my feet in her lap.

"YOU THERE," I waved my hand at Jimmy. "FETCH MY LUNCH." Jimmy rolled his eyes. "DON'T YOU ROLL YOUR EYES AT ME, YOU PEASANT." Hal chuckled.

"You better get her some lunch before she flips a table." Jenna snorted.

"Watch your language, she will." I stood up and slammed my hand on the table.

"IF YOU ARE REFERRING TO THE NIGHT OF AUGUST 25TH, THAT CAKE WAS TERRIBLE." Everyone cracked up.

Nothing happened the night of August 25th.

I sat back down, propping my feet up on the table.

"WHERE IS MY LUNCH." I demanded, sending a glare to Jimmy. He put his hands up in surrender and walked to the lunch counter.

"You can be so obnoxious sometimes." Jenna said.

"SHUT UP, I'M GUCCI, YOU'RE BASIC." Jenna rolled her eyes. "YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS THAT YOU'RE NOT AWESOME LIKE MOI." Jimmy came back and set a plate of food in front of me.

"You happy now?" He asked.

"Yep. Thanks, Jim-Jam." I teased, looking at the peanut butter and jelly sandwich on my plate. I hadn't eaten in, what, three days? I almost forgot what it felt like. All that time, I told myself that Ben was suffering more than I was, that skipping a few meals and not sleeping would do me good. But I never thought of the long-term effects. As I bit into the near stale bread, a different feeling went through me. But my revelation was interrupted by Jenna's suddenly pale face. "It's that time again!" I chorused. Jenna snapped her head at me and sent me a death glare. "Fine, fine, I'll see if Anne has any tam-"

"SHHHH!" Jenna's hands flew to my mouth as she inspected the expressions of the boys around us. Matt looked the most confused.

"I don't get why you're so embarrassed, once a month-" I was cut off again.

"Oh, my god, Margaret, take it somewhere else." Tom complained, putting his head in his hands.

"What happens once a month?" Matt asked, looking to his dad.

"THE STORK BRINGS A BABY TO A MAN AND A WOMAN SOMEWHERE ON EARTH." I quickly substituted.

"But what about-" Jimmy began, but I gave him no chance to finish.

"I can't make my girl jokes you DEFINITELY can't make _those _jokes." I pointed a finger at him as Jenna and I walked away.

"Well then." I heard Jimmy scoff as I trotted away.

I woke up in the morning at four, as usual. I put on a pink tank top and lime green soffes. I threw my hair up in a high ponytail and put on some Nike sneakers. No Jimmy today, which was a blessing and a curse. I did what I usually do when I run: think. The weather was getting warmer, so I'm guessing spring was coming if it hadn't come already. I'll ask Anne when I say goodbye to Jenna what day it is, I think she keeps track. I wonder what my family's up to. Maybe it's just here, maybe down south where I live in North Carolina things are better. Maybe my mom is okay. Maybe my sisters. Maybe my dad. But that's all a fairy tale. A once upon a time. There's a freaking _alien invasion_ going on. They're probably all dead, we're lucky to have the Second Mass. There are literally thousands, millions of people dying out on the street, no family or friends to say a goodbye, not even a burial. They're just... murdered. My mind trailed into different directions, and my watched beeped signaling eight o'clock while I thought about rainbows. I walked back inside and into Jenna and I's room, where I put on a black cropped button-up shirt and jeans, along with combat boots. I put on some basic mascara and lip gloss. I ran out and met Jimmy in Weaver's office for a briefing.

Ugh. Weaver.

"Alright, we're heading out to inspect a weapon's armory." I grabbed the usual, a rifle, a hand pistol, a knife, then my pack (with an extra knife, a small water bottle, and a basic first aid kit). I stuck the pistol on my belt, put the rifle on my back, strapped the knife to my right forearm (since I'm left handed), and slund the bag over my shoulder.

"Ready?" I asked Jimmy. He nodded, having that oh-so-familiar nervous look on his face. "You're such a noob." I joked, skipping away. After what seemed like miles of walking, we reached a warehouse.

"Alright!" Weaver called out. Is it just me or does he say alright way too often... "Take what you can!"

"Don't!" I sudden male voice yelled and shot. I stumbled a few steps back, before running behind a crate. I felt the energy being slowly sucked out of me. What had happened? I looked down to my waist hesitantly. I had been shot.

"Margaret!" Tom whisper-yelled, noticing my wound. "Hal, get her back to Jenna, Lourdes and Anne." I put my hand on the bullet wound.

"I'll be fine, I can still fight!" I demanded. I was not going to let whoever this was take me down this easy. No, I'm a fighter, I stand through thick and thin, firing at human or alien, whatever stands in my way. Because I don't give up. Not this easily, anyway. I ripped a piece of fabric from my pant leg and tied it tightly around my waist. I remember hearing muffled shouts as the world slipped away...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Just Survive**

_"Pope, if we don't get her medical attention she will die."_

_"Listen, Maggie, people are dying left and right! What's one more?"_

_"This is different and you know it."_

_"How?"_

_"A, you shot her. B, we can actually help her. C, I bet she has something to live for."_

_"Something to live for? That's a fool's paradise. Just shoot her in the head and put her out of her misery."_

My eyes fluttered open to face the world. There was a tall, blonde girl with very long hair squatting next to me. I was laying on a cold, uncomfortable concrete floor, in a different room from before. We were in a theater, and I was on the stage. Everyone was tied up in the chairs, and unconscious.

"Look who's awake." The girl said, smiling. She seemed nice enough... She had a small wet cloth and was washing some of the blood from around my wound. "I wouldn't try talking, or moving for that matter. Just stay calm, and we'll do everything we can." I nodded slightly. Karen was the next to wake up.

"Margaret!" She immediately shouted. The blonde looked to Karen. "Are you okay?"

"You must be a Margaret, too." She laughed a little and smiled again. Something about her smile- it made me want to smile.

"Maggie, I don't know why you're wasting your time." A voice shouted. A man was standing in the back of the theater. "The little girl will be dead soon." He scoffed, then put on an evil smirk. Tom's eyes shot open, and began buzzing around in search of me.

"Margaret!" He gasped when he saw me. I knew I didn't have much longer.

"Pope, we need to do something." Hal was the next to awaken. His eyes widened when he saw me, but he remained quiet. Which was good, I guess, I'm tired of the 'Margret! Are you okay?'s.

"Fine, here's a preposition. We'll all ride into town," his voice dripped mockery as he pretended to ride a horse. "And get some of your supplies. Any attempt to escape will result in a bullet to her head." Pope yanked me up, causing me to screech in pain. "Lyle, gather 'em up!" His breath stank of onions and rotted teeth. It was disgusting. A large man, Lyle I assume, went into another room and came back with a huge group of people. Maggie/Margaret took me away from Pope (thankfully), and sat behind me on a motorcycle. Every movement meant added pain to the pain of simply sitting up.

"Lead the way, boy!" A girl with wild curly hair had a gun pointed to Hal's head and laughed as he rode. Trying to remain conscious was like trying not to drop a stick of butter. It's slippery, and if you let your guard down you're stuck in the mud. I kept my eyes open, focusing on the gun pointed at Hal. If that thing fired some serious shit will go down. I let my head roll back, resting it on Margaret's shoulder. My blinks became longer and longer until I figured it wouldn't hurt to sleep for a few minutes...

I woke up in the chem lab/hospital. Tom, Dr. Glass, Hal, Matt, and Jenna were sitting in chairs around me. Everyone was asleep.

"Nice to know you all love me." I scoff, snapping everyone but Matt awake. I wonder if he's been able to sleep...

"UGH IT'S YOU." Jenna shouted sarcastically.

"HEY WHO SAID I WANTED TO WAKE UP TO YOU." I fired back, sarcastic as well.

"Girls, be nice." Dr. Glass said, coming over to me. SHE DOESN'T GET US. After taking my temperature, feeling around a bit, and examining my shot, Dr. Glass announced I was okay to go. Just to be careful. Tom and Hal quickly ushered me over to Weaver's office. There was a little pain in my wound, but it was ignorable. This was obviously important.

"Look who woke up just in time." Jimmy remarks. I bow cheesily, and walks over to him. I put my elbow on his shoulder and pop my hip out.

"Alright, we're getting Ben back!" Weaver yells out.

"NO SHIT!" I fire back. Weaver rolls his eyes, and sighs.

"Pay attention, Margaret." He commands, glaring at me.

"Buy a pad, Weaver." I mutter under my breath, and Jimmy stifles a laugh.

"Preach." He whispers at the same level. I snort. We can be those typical obnoxious teenagers, but what else are we gonna do?

REBELS, BABY.

By the time we finish talking, Weaver has already finished explaining.

"Margaret!" Jenna calls after me, and I swing around to see her. She blushes when she sees Jimmy, and he returns it.

"ENOUGH, LOVE BIRDS." I scream, pushing Jenna over to Jimmy's side and laying his arm over her shoulder. The immediately adapt to the position, Jimmy snuggling Jenna closer and Jenna resting her head on Jimmy's shoulder.

And. I. Fall. Over.

"Have Weaver told you about the plan?" Jenna looks at us.

"Yes." Jimmy and I both lie, because we didn't really listen. Jenna got the message.

"Ambush the hospital?" We look at her blankly. "Nod if you understand." She nods slowly.

"Whatever, I'm winging it. HASHTAG YOLO." I shout, skipping away happily as I left Jinna alone. Yes, they have a ship name.

YES, I'm that cool.

I can't believe we're actually getting Ben back!

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**So I re-wrote the last part of this chapter. I ended up shortening Margaret's coma time to keep things straight. Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

"MARGARET, RUN!"

_Run. Run. Run. _

"KAREN!"

_Run. Run. Run. _

Our rescue mission had been a mess. We didn't even get Ben, some ass went after his own son instead. Now Karen, Hal, and I are running for our lives, trying to avoid mechs. I was in between Hal and Karen.

"MECH!" I looked up, and there it was. We were goners. Skitters came out and gagged us before dragging us inside. Hal was screaming and kicking, but I went along willingly. This wasn't the first time this happened.

_Andy had an evil look on his face. _

_"Andy, what's up?" I asked, with concern in my voice. _

_"Oh, nothing." But it wasn't nothing. I could tell. I shifted nervously in my seat, suddenly afraid of Andy. _

_"Wanna watch a movie?" I gulped a bit. Andy was up to something. _

_"Nah." He shook his head. "Are your parents home?" I froze in fear. What is he gonna try? _

_"N-no." I was shaking now. I couldn't even run, Andy was faster and stronger than me. _

_"Good." Andy smirked, reaching for his pocket. _

_"Andy let's think about this!" I quickly shout, before he pounced on me and knocked me out with chloroform. _

_I woke up dazed in a van. _

_Ya know, one of those the white, windowless creeper vans. _

_My hands and feet were bound together, and I was gagged. I crawled on my knees over to the front to see Andy driving. We pulled in somewhere, then Andy opened the door. I looked at him in fear as he blindfolded me. He kept me in a warehouse for eleven months. _

Nobody here knows about that. The news of my kidnapping didn't leave North Carolina. Of course, Jenna knows, but she'd never tell. Andy was never arrested, they didn't find out who he was because he wasn't at the warehouse. I've insisted a billion times it was him, but they say due to my 'trauma' I might hallucinate and jump to conclusions.

We were thrown in a holding cell. For some reason, singing calms me down.

"Loving him is like driving a Mersati down a dead end street. Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly." Karen smiled at me but Hal's expression remained blank. I finished verse one and went onto the chorus.

"Leaving him was blue like I've never known, missing him was dark grey all alone. Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you never met, 'cause loving him was red." Karen smirked.

"Sounds awfully like your confrontation with Ben." I scoffed, then had a better idea.

"Sometimes I hate every single stupid word you say. Sometimes I wanna slap you and your whole face." Karen's eyes went wide. I finished off the first part and continued on to my favorite part.

"At the same time, I wanna hug you, I wanna wrap my arms around your neck. You're an asshole, but I love you. And you make so mad I ask myself why I'm still here, where can I go? You're the only love I've ever known, but I hate you, I really hate you, so much I think it must be-" A skitter cut me off, and dragged Karen out.

"NO!" Hal screamed, crying. I was paralyzed. Two more skitters took Hal and I outside to three kids and a mech. One of the skitters screeched, and the middle kid said to tell Weaver that if we take one, the rest die. Then the mech loaded it's gun, and shot every kid. I screamed, and so did Hal, and we clung onto each other as we cried. They released us to go, but those words stuck in my mind.

_Take one, the rest die. _

When we finally reached camp, it was about morning. I strode in and ran into two familiar faces. The first was Louis Gerdman, my old dance partner. The second was Andy.

"A-Andy?" I stuttered, backing up. He took one step closer, and I ran. I ran all the way to the chem lab, where Jenna was. I peered through the window and saw her and Jimmy. I walked in, swallowing hard. "Uh, Jenna?" I asked. She faced me.

"Yes?"

"I uh- we have dance class." I was about to announce Andy, but Jimmy didn't know and it's staying that way. We walked out to a field area where our highest class waited.

"Okay, we're working on a ballet dance, girls you will need a partner." All the girpal chose a boy, and Jenna had dragged Jimmy along so she could use him. Louis walked up, and smiled.

"Care to dance?" I nodded, and we assumed the waltz position.

"We're dancing to Treacherous by Taylor Swift. It will be mostly ballet with a touch of waltz. Be prepared for acrobatics." I announced, unable to remove my eyes from Louis' beautiful blue orbs. The whole dance went perfect, and the best part is that you end up in your partner's arms. I guess it's safe to say I have a crush on Louis.

I was sitting in my room, thinking about life. I decided some piano practice would do me good, so I went down to the school music room. Sure enough, there was a piano. I sat on the bench and began to play 'You're Missing' by Bruce Springsteen. I guess I am singing songs about Ben...

"Shirts in the closet, shoes in the hall. Mama in the kitchen, baby and all. Everything is everything, everything is everything, but you're missing." I barely finished the first verse before a pair of arms snaked around my waist.

"Remember me, babe?" It was Andy.

"I'm not your babe." I spat, trying to wriggle out of his grip.

"Shh, keep calm and it won't hurt." I felt blood run down my stomach.

This was it, I had lost.


	7. Chapter 7

"Come on, you've never had stage fright before." Jenna whined. She was right, I never have. But something about the crowd that night made me feel uneasy. We'd hit Carnegie Hall, Times Square, Madison Square Garden, even Broadway. So why was a tiny benefit concert in Massachusetts giving me the jitters?

Perhaps I should explain my life. Me and my best friend, Jenna, tour the world and absolutely dominate the charts. Nobody even tries to stop us. Our manager, Ben, who has the creepiest scar going up his back, is our age strangely and helps us through it all. His intern, Jimmy, is Jenna's boyfriend.

We signed with Mason and Sons Corporation about a year ago. The company is run by Tom Mason, his girlfriend Anne Glass, and his two sons work there as interns. Their names are Hal and Matt.

Our tour bus driver is named Mr. Weaver. He's really nice, but commanding. Nothing escapes his eye. He controls us, and takes care of us.

We also have a doctor on board, Lourdes. She's pretty nice, caring too. She always complains about missing her boyfriend, Jamil, but who can blame her?

The bright lights of the stage drew me out of my evaluation of life. A few thousand people were gathered in the arena, screaming. I smiled and brought the microphone to my mouth. I began to sing our original song; I Let Go.

"I had nothing, but I had you." I sang, looking to Jenna for her to finish.

"There was an alien invasion, but nothing could separate you two. Not even a harness." What..? I look at Jenna, and she looked at me. "Wake up." I shook it off and contunued.

Something felt weird as we sang in the Massechusetts arena. Like I belonged there. There's something going on that I don't know.

The rest of the concert went great, but I couldn't stop shaking. It's just a routine concert, why am I so nervous? After the concert, we met Ben and Jimmy backstage.

"Nice job, guys! Margaret, wake up, though." Ben gave us a high five. When my fingers touched his, I felt a vision.

_Everyone, Jenna, Jimmy, Ben, Hal, Matt, Tom, Anne, Lourdes, Mr. Weaver, and everyone else were staring at me. Their eyes were cold and dark. _

_"Wake up, Margaret." Lourdes said. She began repeating it as slowly, one-by-one, people began to join her. _

_"SHUT UP!" I screeched, clutching my hair. Everything stopped. I was alone. _

I snapped back into reality. Ben fixed his glasses and continued to stare at a clipboard. Jenna and Jimmy were making small talk on the couch. Mr. Weaver had his bus hat on and was chewing on a toothpick, awaiting orders. Lourdes sat with her first aid kit, currently jobless. Everything was back to normal. My phone began to rang, it was a blocked number. Ben says not to answer them, but half the time it's just a fan.

"Hello?" I answered in a cheery voice.

"Listen carefully," A gruff voice replied. "Go somewhere private where no one can hear you." I was nervous, but did as he said.

"My name is Andy. You don't realize it, but the world you're living in doesn't exist." At that point I hung up. I don't need that shit.

I left the backstage of the arena and went to the tourbus. It was empty, so I covered up the windows in the back and took my shirt off. I was going to change into my pajamas and catch some sleep while I could. This concert didn't have any backstage stuff like meeting us or anything. When I glanced at myself in the mirror, I caught a scar on my stomach and blood dripping from another spot beside it. I was terrified. I leaped, no FLEW, out of my position and onto the bed. When I sat up, there was blood on the bed. Something had gone straight through me, something else left a monstrous scar. Ben came into the tourbus and back where I was. It was an awkward situation, he'd probably been changing in the front of the bus, since he was shirtless. Just two shirtless teens staring at each other (but not their faces). Yes, I admit I was gawking at his abs, but he was probably more concerned about my bleeding.

"What happened?!" I felt blood run down my front and back.

"Dunno." I shrugged. He sighed and left, probably for a shirt and Lourdes. His back scar was unexplainable. It ran from his waistline to the base of his head, and it crusted the skin around it. Little tiny circles of scar appeared in the line every now and then. As he walked away, I couldn't help but ask about it.

"Where'd you get that?" I shouldn't have asked, when Tom first assigned Ben to us he warned us not to ask about it. But stupid me had to take the chance. He didn't turn around when he answered, he didn't even look over his shoulder.

"I was captured and enslaved for months. The kidnappers leave all their victims with that scar." I knew I should've stopped there, but I kept pushing.

"What did they do to you?" I wanted to take it back, but the words wriggled out too fast.

"One had a daughter." He sighed. "I was a sex slave."

* * *

**Let me explain if you need it. Andy's stab left Margaret in an alternate universe-type coma. Everyone she knows has a part. The scar is from when Pope shot her, the bleeding wound is her stab. Keep reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

It was all still sinking in. How could someone do that? And, yet, here Ben is telling me his story while I stupidly ask for more.

"Margaret, are you okay?" He stops talking and looks at me. "You look pale..." He jumps up from his sitting position, and next thing I know my face is buried into his warm, pillow-like chest.

And suddenly it _is_ a pillow I'm laid on. There was no transition, just Ben then pillow. It would've been impossible for him to have set me down on a pillow. My eyes and my curiosity were locked in battle. My eyes were too tired to open, yet my curiosity had to know what was going on.

_Come on,_ I thought to myself.

"You'll be alright," A voice was singing. "No one can hurt you now." It was Jenna. Something told me I had to open my eyes.

And I did.

"Margaret!" A pair of arms flew around me.

Holy mother of all shit it's Andy. WTF.

He released me, and Jenna hugged me after, whispering in my ear.

"I think the detectives were right. It's all just trauma." Yeah, you be held captive for months and say it's 'trauma'. I felt my stomach, there was gauze wrapped all the way around it, and up my shoulder. My entire torso (except one of my shoulders) above my belly button was wrapped.

Memories came soon after. Everyday I'd remember a bit of this, a piece of that. But never this Ben kid. Whoever he was, he must be important.

"You don't remember Ben _at all_?" Tom asked me. I shook my head sadly.

"Sorry, no." I looked down at my plate and ate most of the food. Hal said I rarely ate before the stabbing incident, and he's happy I eat now. "But maybe if I meet him I'll remember." The room went silent. Where was this Ben dude anyway...

"Hey hey hey!" I looked over to see Louis entering. I stood and threw my unwrapped arm around him. Tom excused himself, as did Hal and Jimmy.

"When you're ready, you can join us, lover birds." Jimmy snickered as he trotted off.

"That ass." I scoffed. "C'mon, we're late for briefing." I took Louis' hand and dragged him out of the cafeteria and down the hall, then into Weaver's office.

"Gerdman, Smithfield, you're late!" Weaver barked at us.

"Hush your yush, at least we came." I put up a hand to Weaver and tuned in to what he was saying.

"Hal here will be wearing a fake harness. On his signal, we go in, get Ben and as many others as possible." Hal looked like a nervous wreck.

"Send me instead." I suddenly blurted.

"Not gonna happen, Smithfield, you've got a bum arm from that wrap, and no training." I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"You just explained my reason." I left his office and went for the chem lab. Walking there was difficult. Here I am, willingly sticking that _thing_ on my back for a boy I don't even remember. Jenna was following close behind me.

"You're making a big mistake!" She shouted, struggling to keep up. "Hal is properly trained, what if something goes wrong? You could die!" She gasped loudly, and stopped. I spun around to face her, and saw tears in her eyes. "You could die." she repeated, yet this time slower.

"I know," I said, walking towards her. "I know. But I have to believe that I won't."

Next thing I knew a slimy, oily, greasy slug-type menace is strapped onto me. I screamed at it's touch because the sharp parts that must've latched it on dug through my wrap.

"I'll take it off," Anne said cautiously. I shook my head, wincing. I felt hot blood trickle down my back as it dug deeper. I screamed again, slamming my hands onto the table. "That's it, I'm taking it off." Said Anne, reaching for my back.

"No," I breathed, feeling sweat drip down my face. "No, don't." I stood upright, which stung, and limped out in terrible pain.

"Margaret, you look like you've seen a ghost!" Hal exclaimed, running to me. "There's blood all over your back!" I felt his warm hands frantically wipe off my back. "We've got to get this thing off you."

"_No_!" I yelled again. "Stick a bandage over it!" I felt Hal touch my shoulder, and I turned to face him. We stood there, frozen in time, for ages. The pain in my back didn't matter anymore. He did. We did. And before I knew what was happening his soft lips were on mine. It was perfect, and gentle, like we were made of china.

Whoever this Ben kid is, he ain't got NOTHING on Hal.

I pulled back and we both stared at each other. He removed his hand from my shoulder and left. Soon after, he returned with a bandage and silently put it over my stab. I felt my back, and that gross thing on it. I knew I was pale, sweaty, panting, and maybe a bit green, but I felt amazing.

And it was all thanks to Hal.


End file.
